At first it was a minor inconvenience. A hole opened up on the track, causing a red flag in the biggest race of the season.
Daytona Debacle: Lookin Like A Fool With Your Hole In the Track
But 70-plus minutes into the delay, it’s a flat-out embarrassment.
This is one of the worst ways NASCAR could start this season, which was supposed to be a rebound year. The delay repairing the hole has to be killing TV ratings, and all the curious, non-hardcore fans are switching the channel.
At this point, they may have lost even some of the core fans.
There are still 78 laps remaining. The race should have been over by now. Instead, despite the earlier start time, it will likely end under the lights.
NASCAR chairman Brian France said track workers are trying their third compound in order to repair it. None has worked so far.
It’s obvious the track needs to be fixed – completely repaved – as soon as possible. It’s old, and the likelihood of such incidents will only increase.
This can’t happen again. It’s already been a debacle for the sport – it’s the biggest race of the season.
As Brant James of the Charlotte Observer tweeted, the field doesn’t cave in during the Super Bowl.
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